Pottsville police arrest five in burglary

Five people - four men and one juvenile - were charged by Pottsville police after officers were called for a burglary in progress in the 800 block of Grant Street about 2:45 p.m. Wednesday.

Police identified those arrested as Brent Newman, 28, of Pottsville; Loron Irving, 40, of Pennsburg; Daniel Lopez, 23, of Minersville; and Haroun Abdulhamid Elhadi, 37, who has no known address. A juvenile was taken into custody and is facing charges as well.

Charges against the five include burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary, both felony offenses, as well as theft, receiving stolen property, conspiracy to commit receiving stolen property, criminal trespass and conspiracy to commit criminal trespass.

Newman faces additional charges including false identification to law enforcement, fleeing or attempting to elude police and driving while under suspension, while Elhadi faces an additional charge of false identification to law enforcement.

The four adults were arraigned by on-call Magisterial District Judge James R. Ferrier, Orwigsburg, and committed to Schuylkill County Prison, each unable to post $25,000 straight cash bail.

Police said the juvenile was turned over to Schuylkill County juvenile authorities and remanded to a juvenile detention center.

The incident began when officers were called to the area and learned that four men and a woman were fleeing the area, some in a red vehicle with a Maryland registration, police said in a report.

Officers located the vehicle near Eighth and Speacht streets and finally pulled it over near Sixth and Race streets after a brief pursuit.

When the vehicle stopped, the driver fled on foot but was located hiding on a vacant porch in the 700 block of West Race Street. Police said he falsely identified himself as Isiah Alle, but his real identity was later determined to be Newman.

At that time, a rear passenger, later identified as Irving, was also taken into custody, police said.

Eyewitnesses reported that they saw five males walk to the area behind 811 W. Race St. and saw a juvenile point to the victim's house and then walk away with a member of the group.

The three remaining men entered the rear of the property through a carport and came out minutes later with one carrying a large safe, police said, adding that they then walked west on Speacht Street carrying the safe.

Officers said a red car then arrived in the area where a rear passenger exited and retrieved an item from the sidewalk before the car drove off.

During a canvass of the area, police said information was received that three men entered 294 N. Eighth St. when fleeing the area of the crime.

Officers contacted Jill Shellhammer, a resident of that home, but the woman initially refused to cooperate and refused to let police into the home to search for the remaining suspects.

A secure perimeter was established while officers began to obtain a search warrant, but Shellhammer later came out of the home and told police two of the suspects were actually inside her home.

Police said Lopez and a juvenile boy were then taken into custody without incident. Shellhammer subsequently signed a consent form allowing officers to search the home, where they found a man, who identified himself as Pedro Gonzalez, hiding in the basement under furniture and next to a Sentry safe that had the door pried off.

It was determined that the man who claimed to be Gonzalez was actually Elhadi, police said, adding that the stolen safe, along with additional documents that were inside, were recovered and returned to the victim.

Pottsville police Chief Richard F. Wojciechowsky said this crime was not a random incident and that police are reviewing previously obtained information during this crime concerning the relationship between the victim and those arrested.

Assisting Pottsville police at the scene and with the apprehension of the suspects were Schuylkill County Sheriff's deputies, Saint Clair police and Schuylkill County Domestic Relations officers.

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